


Good For A Weekend

by madjm



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-19 02:08:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11303538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madjm/pseuds/madjm
Summary: The prospect of spending a whole weekend with Seth and pretending to be his girlfriend is both exciting and terrifying, and Kate knows there are more ways it could go wrong than go right.





	Good For A Weekend

**Author's Note:**

> So, I made this poll on Twitter asking which trope people wanted me to write for SK, and fake relationship was the winner with 50 percent. Coming in third with 19 percent was Neighbors AU, so I just kind of combined the two a bit. Along with some other tropey things just because I'm trash. Second place went to Celeb/Bodyguard, so I'm probably going to try that one next, or possibly the runaway bride fic I started a while back. Maybe I'll make a series of tropey fics! But hmu in the comments if there's something else you'd like to see. I make no promises about having the time or inspiration to write, but I do promise I'll try.

It’s been a long day, the latest in a string of really, really long days, and Kate Fuller is just ready to go home, put her groceries away and settle on her couch for her rated G version of Netflix and chill — downing a half-gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream by herself while watching Buffy Summers kick the crap out of some vampires.

 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen, as she spies her neighbor leaning against her door looking (as always) like he’s in the middle of a photo shoot. His dark hair is perfectly in place, and she watches as he runs a hand over the light growth of beard that should probably look scruffy but instead unfairly seems to only boost his attractiveness. Or maybe that’s just her. For once, he’s not wearing a suit; but she almost prefers the black jeans and henley with its sleeves pushed up to show off his impressive forearms and part of the flame tattoo that runs up his entire arm. All he’s missing is a wind machine and the photographer weaving around snapping broody, black and white fashion shots.

 

The moment he clocks her coming down the hall, he fixes his most charming grin on his face — and that smile is like a force of nature. Despite repeated exposure to it, and the knowledge that the man uses it like a weapon to get his way in every possible situation, she still has to remind herself to be wary … and to ignore the annoying flutter in her tummy at having his attention fully on her.

 

Seth Gecko has grown on her a lot in the last couple of months — they’ve definitely moved into friend territory, a big step up from the blatant hostility during the first month she’d lived across from him. Her polite (she felt) requests that he refrain from drunken sexual activity out in the hall prompted accusations that she was an uptight brat who didn’t know how to have fun. It escalated to him parading around half-naked and flaunting his one-nighters in her face and Kate deliberately blaring music and vacuuming more than strictly necessary in the early morning hours the next day when she knew damn well he was hung over. 

 

After their neighbors’ complaints to the landlord got them both in hot water, they’d toned down their war, but it didn’t truly come to an end until the night he came home to find her sitting in front of her door, crying because she’d locked herself out of her apartment.

 

He’d immediately led her into his apartment, settled her on his couch and produced a box of tissues and a mug of hot tea while he left a message for the apartment superintendent. He was so nice to her that it all came flooding out then: Kate was worn way too thin, in addition to trying to finish her degree and working at a vet’s office, she’d had to take a cocktail waitressing job on the weekends and a few nights a week to help pay to send her preacher father to rehab for an alcohol addiction. On yet another day when nothing had gone right, locking herself out had just been the final straw.

 

After she embarrassingly spilled her whole, pathetic story right at his feet, Seth had actually _picked the lock_ on her apartment — which should probably disturb her more than it actually did at that point — and then insisted on treating her to pizza that evening to cheer her up.

 

It was kind of hard to hate him after that, and the resulting truce was a relief to both of them — and the building at large. 

 

Actually, the only downside to being friends was that the man was hot as hell and completely out of her league. Not only was he 10 years older than she, but he was clearly _very_ experienced and seemed to favor blondes. At least, he had. Since they’d become friends, he’d become a lot more discreet about his hook-ups … or maybe he just took them back to their place instead.

 

Either way, friend or not, she knows she stands no chance with him, and she has to remind herself of that pretty much constantly anymore.

 

But it’s fine. Being friends with him is pretty nice, too. Usually, anyway.

 

“Kate,” he says warmly — probably even genuinely — reaching to slip the grocery bags out of her grasp. Shaking her head, she fishes out her keys and waits for him to spit it out. “You’re looking lovely, as always.”

 

“Really?” Kate wrinkles her nose. “That’s all you’ve got? I’m well aware that I actually look like I’m an extra on ‘The Walking Dead’ today, so stow it, Gecko. What do you want?”

 

That shuts him up for a moment. It’s been a while since she’s been so short with him, and he tilts his head and studies her more closely, making her skin feel itchy. She knows he’s a perceptive guy, and on closer look, he’s probably seeing that she looks exhausted and 1,000 Percent Done with the world.

 

And she is definitely both.

 

Sighing, she unlocks her door and walks in, leaving it open for him to follow. Tossing her keys on the counter, she motions for him to set her bags beside them, murmuring a thanks when he does. 

 

“I …” He actually seems a unsure, and she feels a bit guilty for taking her mood out on him, but he’s Seth Gecko, so he quickly rallies. 

 

“I got a problem,” he says.

 

“You’ve got lots of problems,” she counters, smiling a little to let him know she’s joking — mostly.

 

“You’re hilarious,” he says flatly. “Seriously, I need your help. I kind of … I accidentally fucked my boss’s wife.”

 

Kate closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, ignoring the twinge of jealousy — because she’s a stupid, _stupid_ little girl — his confession prompts. “Accidentally?” she manages, pulling milk out of the bag and stowing it in the fridge.

 

“Okay, it wasn’t an accident, exactly, but … it was months ago. Almost a year. I met her at a bar, we were both drunk. She had on a ring, so I knew she was married —“  


“Charming.”

 

“— but I hadn’t started working for Malvado then, and I mean, we didn’t exactly talk about her husband, you know?”

 

“Yeah, no,” she says tightly, sticking the ice cream in the freezer with a mental promise to retrieve it the second Seth is gone. “That’s a neat story, but I really don’t want to hear about your one-nighters, Seth. Can’t you talk to your brother about this stuff instead?”

 

“I’m not finished,” he says. “The problem is that Malvado introduced me to his wife at work the other day, not knowing that we already _knew_ each other. And now that Sonja knows I work there, she’s been kinda stalking me, wanting to hook up again.”

 

“So?”

 

“So, I don’t want to.”

 

Kate turns, putting her hands on her hips. She is absolutely not feeling relieved that her neighbor-slash-platonic-friend doesn’t want to bang this other woman again. She is _not_. “I’m not seeing the problem here,” she says. “You’re a grown man. For heaven’s sake, just tell her you’re not interested.”

 

“The problem is, she’s not taking no for an answer,” he complains. “She thinks it’s a game. And I’m afraid if I reject her too hard, she’ll tell her husband.”

 

“And he’ll bury you in concrete.”

 

“Those are just rumors, Kate, he’s not a gangster.”

 

Leaning against her counter, she raises her eyebrows.

 

Seth sighs. “He’s not gonna kill me or anything, but he could fire me. He could make it very difficult for me to work in this town, and I …” He looks at her, then his gaze skirts away. “There’s a lot to like here, I don’t want to have to leave.”

 

She frowns, thinking how much she would hate it if he moved. “So why are you telling me all this?”

 

“Ah … because I need a favor.” Seth clears his throat, stepping closer.

 

“Don’t,” she snaps, suddenly annoyed again. “Don’t do that.”

 

“Do what?”

 

“That Thing you do with women,” she says, waving her hand at him. “You get in their space, bust out that grin, look at them like they’re the only other person in the world, charm them until they give up their money, or their panties, or whatever else you want from them.”

 

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I wasn’t going to ask for your panties,” he says, definitely Doing The Thing despite the fact that she’d just asked him not to. “At least, not tonight.”

 

“Seth —“

 

“Okay, okay,” he laughs, stepping back a bit. “Malvado’s invited his top salesmen to spend the weekend at this island resort he owns— a bit of business and pleasure both. And Sonja was trying to plan how we’d meet up behind his back, and I told her … I told her I couldn’t because I was bringing my girlfriend.”

 

She’s had a really long day, and it’s taking her way too long to connect the dots, but surely he doesn’t mean …

 

“You, Kate,” he says impatiently, “I told her you were my girl, and you were coming this weekend.”

 

“I have to work this weekend,” she says, as though that should even be her top objection to the stupid plan. “I work every weekend.”

 

He nods. “I know, but if you called in sick —“

 

“No,” she says, finally. “No! I can’t take off work, I’m this close to paying off the rehab bill so I can quit that job.”

 

“Yes,” he pleads. “Listen, I’ll pay you whatever you’d make this weekend, hell, I’ll pay you more. I just got a big bonus at work; I’m good for it. Plus, it’s a free tropical vacation. Don’t tell me you couldn’t use a break.”

 

“Of course I could use a break,” she says. “Honestly, I just … I don’t think anyone would buy us as a couple, especially for a whole weekend.”

 

“Don’t you?” he asks quietly, and her stomach does that twisty thing again despite herself. “Mrs. Allen on the first floor thinks we’re having a scandalous affair.”

 

Kate snorts out a laugh. “Mrs. Allen thinks the government has a secret mind-reading machine and has been infiltrated by aliens.” 

 

“Hey, there could definitely be aliens in the government. It’s not the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. … Come on, Fuller, help me out.”

 

“You’re actually gonna pay me to pretend to be your girlfriend for the weekend,” she says. “I’m feeling a little ‘Pretty Woman’ vibe here. You gonna give me your credit card to go shopping?”

 

“If that’s what it takes,” he says. “Not that there’s anything wrong with your clothes. In fact, if you just want to wear that little red bikini of yours all weekend, I’m in favor.”

 

She hates the way she flushes at the idea that he’s paid that much attention to her swimwear, but it’s beyond her control. Biting her lip, she stares at the kitchen counter, thinking it through. Heaven knows, she could use a little vacation. She’s so tired. The prospect of spending a whole weekend with Seth and pretending to be his girlfriend is both exciting and terrifying, and she knows there are more ways it could go wrong than go right.

 

When she doesn’t answer, he leans a little closer. “There’s a couple pools, and the beach, free food and drinks, I think you can even get a massage. That’s better than spending the weekend on your feet fetching drinks for drunk assholes at the bar, right?”

 

“Okay, fine, it’s a deal. Do not make me regret saying yes,” she says in a rush before she can change her mind. It’s not like she thinks this has even crossed his mind, but she feels compelled to add: “And ‘Pretty Woman’ vibe or not, I’m not sleeping with you.”

 

He chuckles, sticking out a hand to shake. “Don’t be so hasty, Fuller. You could get paid in cash _and_ collect a bonus of multiple org—“

 

“ _Don’t_ finish that sentence, unless you want to find another fake girlfriend in the next three days.”

 

In response, Seth just grins.

 

* * *

El Rey is … paradise. 

 

That’s basically the only way she can think of to describe the resort, sprawled over a good chunk of the remote island that she never got the name of, all bright white buildings with blue trim, with palm trees and other tropical foliage waving hypnotically in the ocean breeze.

 

The interior is just as lovely, with beautiful, smooth, wooden floors and the white and blue color scheme carried throughout. 

 

Kate stops dead in the middle of the lobby staring at a gorgeous mosaic fountain, made up of practically every shade of blue in existence, sparkling in the by sun let in from skylights above.

 

“Wow,” she says. “How rich is your boss?”

 

Seth is looking around in surprise, too, though he’s certainly better at covering. “I guess if you sell a shitload of commercial property, you can afford to buy yourself an island.”

 

“You’re one of his top salesmen, though?” she asks. It’s just now occurred to her that he probably makes quite a good living himself. “Why the hell are you still living in our crappy complex? Surely you could afford something better by now. Something where the elevator works more than half the time and the super actually sometimes does their job?”

 

He shrugs, not looking at her. “It’s not all bad there,” he says. “And I fucking hate moving.”

 

Before she figures out how to answer, there’s a loud voice across the lobby. “Ahh, if it isn’t the second-best salesman at Malvado!”

 

Kate bites back a smile at the muttered “fuck” from Seth before he calls back in an aggressively fake cheerful voice, “Carlos! Good to see you, man.”

 

“You as well, Gecko,” the dark-haired man says pleasantly, coming toward them. He looks about Seth’s age and is almost as handsome as her faux boyfriend, but something about the way he looks at her — like she’s amused him in some way — grates. “And who is this beauty?”

 

“This is Kate Fuller,” Seth says, slipping an arm around her. It’s a bit strange, but she finds she doesn’t mind it at all. “My girlfriend. Kate, this is Carlos Madrigal.”

 

“An absolute pleasure, Miss Kate,” Carlos says, shaking her hand, holding on a bit longer than strictly necessary. “It’s a shame you’re here with the runner-up instead of the champ, though. I think you could do better.”

 

Seth’s arm tightens around her, but before he can speak, she decides it’s time to start earning her fake girlfriend pay. “I don’t know, I mean, how long have you worked for Mr. Malvado?”

 

“Nearly five years,” Carlos says proudly. “I was one of his first agents.”

 

“And … Seth, how long have you worked for him?” she asks, sweetly.

 

“Eight months,” he confirms, amusement in his voice.

 

“I think second place after only eight months is fantastic,” she says, smiling admiringly up at Seth. “I wouldn’t get too comfortable in first place, Carlos. Seth is a born salesman, and he’s just getting warmed up.”

 

* * *

“That was amazing,” Seth says, as soon as they get to their room. “You actually left Carlos Madrigal speechless. That guy literally never fucking shuts up!”

 

“That’s what you’re paying me for,” she says absently, caught up in checking out their room. It’s lovely, like the rest of the resort, pretty large for a hotel room, with some comfy-looking chairs, a mini fridge, a giant television … and the biggest bed she’s ever seen. 

 

The one and only bed, and _how the hell_ did she overlook the glaringly obvious fact that she was going to be sharing a bed with her incredibly hot neighbor-slash-platonic-friend?

 

He nearly runs into her as she stops dead staring at the bed like the embarrassing idiot she is.

 

“Uhh. … I could maybe … sleep in one of these chairs?” he offers hesitantly.

 

Shaking her head, she moves over to the balcony doors. “The bed is huge,” she says with more confidence than she actually feels. She can do this. She can be That Girl. Sharing a bed with the hottest man she’s ever seen in person. The one who pretty much constantly takes a starring role in her fantasies. Who has never once even tried to make a move on her, because she’s not his type. No big deal. “We won’t even know we’re sharing.”

 

Pulling open the door, she steps outside, her breath hitching as she takes in the view of the beach from their fifth-floor room. The waves are rolling in, the late day sun is sparkling over the water, and she thinks she really is in paradise. With a big sigh, she drops onto one of the chaise lounges and stretches her legs out.

 

“Anyway,” she says as she feels Seth coming up beside her. “It’s kind of a moot point, because I don’t think I’m moving from this spot for the rest of the weekend.”

 

She’s only halfway kidding.

 

* * *

Kate kind of hates Sonja at first sight.

 

It’s totally bitchy and unfair, she knows, and is solely based on the fact that the woman is beautiful and has had sex with her (fake) boyfriend. Whereas in theory, she hates that society constantly pits women against one another, when they should be supporting each another, in reality, she’s unreasonably angry that this woman has gotten to see Seth Gecko naked. It’s stupid, childish jealousy, and she is perfectly capable of admitting that to herself.

 

But it only gets worse when Sonja starts to speak.

 

“Seth!” she gushes, clutching at his free arm in a totally unnecessary — and really overdone — move. “Amancio got caught up in the city, so he won’t arrive until late tonight. But he wants me to let all of you know that he still expects you in the conference room at 8 sharp tomorrow.”

 

She hasn’t even glanced at Kate, which should be amusing but is actually really irritating. She’d felt pretty good about her appearance when she’d exited the bathroom wearing a simple, black wraparound dress and heeled sandals. She’d gone light on makeup and left her hair in loose curls, and Seth had definitely stopped in his tracks before he’d told her how lovely she looked. This time, she’d believed him.

 

But it’s difficult not to compare her understated look with the bold, cleavage-busting emerald dress Sonja wears, or her professional-looking updo and stunning cat’s-eye makeup. It’s easy to feel invisible, to realize that it’s no wonder Seth was drawn to a woman like that and not to a girl like her.

 

The dining room that was reserved for Malvado’s employees is half full, and Kate recognizes some of the people she’d met before their flight. Only half listening to Sonja’s babbling, she checks out the bar and spies the biggest margarita she’s ever seen.

 

She pulls her attention back when she hears her name, and Seth tugs her closer to him as he introduces her. Sonja barely spares her a glance.

 

“Robbing the cradle these days, are we?” she asks, smirking. 

 

Kate is already feeling insecure, and now she’s getting pissed off. She doesn’t like to think of herself as someone who’d get in a catfight, but, well.

 

“Yeah, he loves it when I call him ‘daddy’,” she says, grinning up at Seth. She swallows a laugh a the wide-eyed look of almost-panic on his face. What, she wonders, does he think she’s going to say next?

 

Sonja finally _really_ looks at her, not shocked exactly, but seemingly surprised that she’s capable of speaking for herself.

 

“I’m just messing with you,” Kate says sweetly, snuggling closer to Seth and channeling her inner Mean Girl. “I just have a young face. I’ll probably still get carded even when I’m as old as you are! Speaking of which, I left my i.d. up in the room, Seth. Buy me one of those amazing-looking margaritas?”

 

He smiles down at her, dropping an absent kiss on the corner of her mouth. “Anything for you, Katie. Uh … if you’ll excuse us, Sonja.”

 

Seth is full-on laughing before they’re halfway to the bar. “You’re a natural,” he says, while Kate is laser focused on the bar and trying not to freak out about the innocent brush of his lips on her skin. He doesn’t even seem to realize he’s done it, and meanwhile, she’s about to stroke out over nothing. It seems like some kind of depressing, crappy metaphor for their relationship. “How did I not know this about you? You ever done any acting? You got a side job as a con artist? That would pay better than waitressing.”

 

“I’m just a preacher’s daughter from a small town.” She lets him help settle her on the barstool before he hops up on the one next to her. He’s so close, and warm, and she tries really hard to push away the memory of that stupid half-kiss. She studies the bar instead of looking at him. “Under the microscope of the entire congregation, the whole town, really. Everything I ever did, said, wore, who I spent time with, all of it reflected back on my dad, good or bad. I always had to be perfect, or someone would blame him for not raising me right. And nobody’s perfect but Jesus, so I had to be pretty good at acting like it, anyway.”

 

His fingers gently trail along her arm and she raises her eyes to his. They hold for a moment, and he looks like he’s about to say something, when the bartender appears in front of them. 

 

“The lady will have the biggest margarita you can make,” Seth says. “And then we better grab a table. You should have something besides tequila for dinner.”

 

“Yes, daddy,” she says innocently, and Seth chokes on nothing but air.

 

* * *

They share a table with another salesman, Freddie Gonzales, and his wife, Margaret. They both seem pretty nice, and the dinner is pleasant, with only a little bit of trash talking between the men. 

 

Kate and Margaret bond over being completely exhausted; Margaret is a new mom who’s just started back to work, and she gets quite a laugh out of Seth’s pretty accurate impression of Kate falling dead asleep on the flight over. The women make plans to hang out and do absolutely nothing by the pool during the day when Seth and Freddie will be in the meeting with their boss.

 

Kate realizes the margarita’s hitting her pretty hard when she can barely walk straight to the restroom, and she’s giggling to herself when she almost runs head-first into Carlos, who is coming out the door.

 

“That’s the _ladies room_ ,” she points out primly.

 

Carlos turns, looks at the sign on the door, and shrugs. “Whoops,” he says evenly, skirting around her. “My bad.”

 

Shaking her head, she steps toward the door again, this time almost running into Sonja, who’s looking flushed and a bit less put-together than she was earlier.

 

Still, it’s not until she’s finished up and is washing her hands that it finally occurs to her that they were in the restroom together. Like, _together_ -together. “Oh,” she says, grinning at herself in the mirror. “Ohhhhhh.”

 

She’s still giggling when she gets back to the table, where Seth is waiting alone. 

 

“Hi,” she says, sliding onto his lap. Winding her arms around his neck, she leans closer to whisper in his ear. “You didn’t need me this weekend after all.”

 

“Uh … is that right?”

 

“Mmmhmm, she was in the ladies room with Carlos. _With. Carlos_. If you know what I mean.”

 

Seth snorts, easing an arm around her waist. HIs other hand rests lightly on her leg, and she finds she likes it there. She likes his hands an awful lot, and she only barely manages not to say so out loud. “Yeah, I think I can guess what you mean. You’re … a bit of a lightweight, aren’t you?”

 

Kate shrugs, waving a hand at her drink, still about a quarter full. “I don’t really drink much.”

 

“You don’t say.”

 

“Plus, I didn’t really eat today, except dinner,” she babbles, not really sure why she can’t seem to stop talking. “I mean, I had class, and then we had to rush to the airport, and then I tried to eat those peanuts on the plane and they were super gross, and then I fell asleep and drooled all over your shoulder …”

 

“Yeah, I was there,” he says, sounding amused. “Well, we’ll get you three squares tomorrow for sure, and a good breakfast Sunday before we head home.”

 

“And more margaritas?” she asks, leaning on his shoulder with a yawn.

 

She thinks she remembers him saying, “Anything for you, Katie,” but it might have just been a dream.

 

* * *

For all her nervousness about sharing a bed with Seth, she remembers exactly none of it the next morning. She wakes when the room’s clock radio starts blaring, sitting straight up in bed and taking a good two or three minutes to realize what the hell was making so much noise. 

 

Her mouth tastes like something crawled in it and died, but overall she feels pretty good, and after she’s beaten the alarm clock into submission, she realizes that she can’t remember the last time she’s slept in as late as 9 a.m. It’s definitely a nice change.

 

Seth is gone, of course; his meeting started an hour earlier.

 

Pushing back the covers, she realizes she’s still wearing her dress from the night before. She has no memory of how they got back up to their room, but Seth must have just taken her shoes off and put her to bed. Groaning, she falls back onto the bed. What if she did something embarrassing and just can’t remember?

 

What if she did something even more embarrassing than _sitting in his lap_ when there wasn’t even anyone around to witness their act?

 

“Oh God,” she groans, covering her face with a pillow. 

 

Before she can do something drastic like jump off the balcony, there’s a knock at the door. She thinks about ignoring it, since she probably looks like roadkill and she knows her breath has to be toxic, but then she hears the magic words through the door.

 

“Room service!”

 

Seth, it’s revealed, has ordered her a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast and fresh fruit, with orange juice and (praise the Lord!) a carafe of wonderful, hot coffee all to herself. The room service guy hands over an envelope along with the cart full of food and refuses her offer of a tip, saying everything is covered already.

 

As soon as he leaves, she opens the envelope to find a simple note. _“Don’t forget, you’re meeting Margaret at 10 downstairs. See you at lunch? — S”_

 

Smiling like an idiot — it’s a courtesy, she tells herself, not a love letter, for pete’s sake — she slips the note into her purse, anyway.

 

* * *

She’s feeling pretty great after breakfast and a quick shower, and she puts on her red bikini — because it’s her favorite, _not_ because Seth likes it — and a sarong cover-up and goes to meet Margaret downstairs. 

 

They stake their claim on a couple chaise lounges and are taking a little walk on the beach when Margaret recommends that she and Seth take a walk after dark that night. “The moon will be full,” she says, “and it’s just as beautiful out here at night.”

 

“I wanted to last night,” Kate says with a laugh. “But …”

 

“But then you passed out, and Seth had to carry you upstairs?”

 

“Oh wow,” Kate says, covering her face with her hands. “You saw that? How embarrassing! I’m sure I made such a great impression on his co-workers.”

 

Margaret bumps her shoulder into Kate’s. “Literally nobody else was paying attention. We just happened to be coming back out of the elevator when you guys went up. I thought it was very sweet! You guys make such a cute couple.”

 

“Thanks,” Kate says. “I’m … honestly, I’m a little surprised by it. I’m not at all his usual type.”

 

Margaret shrugs as they turn to head back to the resort. “That just means he didn’t really know what he wanted until he met you. But he certainly knows now; that man looks at you like you hung the moon.”

 

Kate just smiles, turning the subject to Margaret’s daughter, and _wonders_. What if Margaret is right?

 

* * *

A few hours of swimming and sunbathing later, Kate is very relaxed and more than ready for lunch when Seth shows up.

 

She’s biting back a laugh as Margaret leaves to meet her husband, and Seth drops onto the abandoned lounge chair next to her. “What’s so funny, Princess?”

 

She tilts down her sunglasses and looks him up and down. He’s wearing, of all things, khakis and a pastel blue polo shirt. Pastel. Blue. 

 

“You look like you’re going to play golf at the Country Club,” she says finally. “Are you playing golf today?”

 

“You don’t like it?” he says. 

 

“You look fine. Blue’s a good color on you,” she says. “You just don’t look … like you.”

 

“Hmm. Well, don’t worry, as soon as this meeting’s over, I’m back in black.”

 

She laughs. “You don’t always wear black. You’ve got layers; I mean, sometimes you wear dark grey.”

 

“All right, smart ass.” He stands and reaches out a hand. “How about we have lunch on the restaurant patio, so you won’t have to get dressed. I, for one, have no complaints about _your_ outfit.”

 

Rolling her eyes, she lets him help her up, then ties the sarong around her waist and shoves her things into her beach bag. Seth takes the bag from her and, after a moment, holds his hand out for her to take.

 

They stroll toward the patio, and Seth tilts his head in her direction. “Looks like you got some sun this morning.”

 

“Yeah, I’m probably a little overcooked,” she says with a laugh. “I’ll head upstairs after lunch. I have some reading to do for class. Um. By the way, thank you for breakfast. And … I’m sorry for passing out on you last night.”

 

“After half a margarita,” he says, with a grin.

 

“It was more than half,” she defends herself. “And it was huge to begin with.”

 

“Hey, I’m not complaining,” he says. “Any time you want to crawl into my lap, I’m game.”

 

“If it’s any consolation,” she says as they take an empty table. “Margaret thought the sight of you hauling my dead weight upstairs was super romantic.”

 

“Well, that makes every agonizing step worth it,” he says, laughing as she flips him off.

 

They’re almost through with lunch when she nudges him under the table with her foot, tilting her head toward the sight behind him. He turns slightly, and she can tell the moment he sees Sonja and Carlos. The pair is walking slowly, barely touching, with their heads close together, probably talking. 

 

“I guess what I saw last night wasn’t a drunken hallucination,” she says.

 

“Hope Malvado’s not around to see that. It could be very bad for Carlos.”

 

“Like I said, you didn’t even need me at all this weekend,” she teases quietly. “I mean, why would she want the runner-up when she could have the champ?”

 

“Listen,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “Carlos may temporarily be holding on to the top sales spot. _Temporarily_. But I assure you, I’m superior in every other conceivable way.”

 

“Mmmhmmm.” She takes a sip of her water and grins. ”Okay, Seth.”

 

“Any time you want a demonstration, Princess, just ask.”

 

She pretends to consider, then shakes her head. “Nah. Then I’d just have to … get a demonstration from Carlos, too. For comparison’s sake.”

 

His face twists in a comic look of disgust. “Yeah, you don’t want to do that. But if —“

 

The alarm on his phone chooses that exact moment to go off. “Damn, I’ve got to get back,” he says. “I’ll see you in a couple hours.”

 

Standing, he leans over and drops a kiss on her cheek before vanishing, and she wonders a little bit more.

 

* * *

Kate startles awake with a gasp, her heart pounding in her chest as she starts to realize where she is.

 

“Bad dream?”

 

Rubbing a hand over her eyes, she turns to see Seth stretched out in the chaise lounge next to hers on the balcony of their room. She doesn’t know what time it is, but he’s had time to get out of his meeting and change into some long black shorts and — naturally — a tight grey T-shirt. He’s flipping through the history book she’d been reading before she apparently fell asleep again.

 

“I might be a narcoleptic,” she says, ignoring his question. She _had_ had a bad dream, about losing her father and brother in a giant labyrinth; she’d been running in circles, unable to find even a trace, though she somehow knew they were there and needed her help. But she didn’t particularly want to talk about her dad.

 

“More likely, you’re just making up for a year’s worth of lost sleep,” he answers, snapping the book shut. He looks her over, from her messy hair and oversized Chewbacca T-shirt to her jean shorts; she doesn’t think she imagines that he lingers a long moment on her legs. “I’m thinking we should just order room service instead of going down to dinner.”

 

She starts to agree, then shakes her head. “The whole point of me being here was to show off our relationship to the world. Believer it or not, I can be ready in a few minutes; I just didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

 

Seth shrugs. “We saw today, Sonja’s otherwise occupied. I don’t think I need to worry about her anymore. Besides, they might just think we need some ‘alone time’ after today.” He smirks at her, then grows more serious. “Honestly, I’m beat. We could have dinner … watch a movie?”

 

She eyes him suspiciously. Something about the way he said that so casually … “What movie?”

 

“I just happened to notice that they have ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ on demand,” he says, shrugging like it’s no big deal.

 

Kate laughs. One of the constants of their relationship so far has been his disbelief that she has never seen “one of the greatest movies ever made” and his outrage when she’d told him she hadn’t tried to see it because she didn’t really like westerns that much.

 

“Okay, fine, we’ll watch your cowboy movie. At least now you can finally shut up about it.”

 

* * *

They order cheeseburgers and fries for dinner, and they eat stretched out on the lounges on their balcony, watching the glow of sunset and listening to the waves. It’s very beautiful and peaceful, and — no offense to Freddie and Margaret — a thousand times better than dressing up and eating with other people in the dining room downstairs.

 

The moment they’re finished, Seth hustles her back inside and pulls up the movie.

 

The bed is so huge they could literally fit a couple people between them, but instead they settle side-by-side, nearly touching, close enough that she actually feels the warmth coming off his body.

 

Close enough that she has a little problem focusing on the movie at first, hyper aware of every tiny move he makes, every breath, every time he looks over at her to see how she likes the movie. 

 

Fortunately, the movie is good, better than she thought it would be, and it soon gains most of her attention, though she still finds herself holding her breath every time Seth so much as shifts next to her on the bed. In the end, she thoroughly enjoys the film, but she vows to herself never to admit how much she likes it.

 

Instead, as the credits roll, she leans even closer to Seth and pokes at his cheek, pretending she sees a tear there. “Awww, what’s the matter. Are you … crying? Just because they died in the end?”

 

“The didn’t die, Kate,” he says seriously, eyes still on the screen.

 

“Um, pretty sure they died.”

 

“They didn’t die, they freeze-framed,” he insists.

 

“Mmmmhmmm. Right before they _died_ in a hail of gunfire.”

 

“No, right before they escaped to Australia and lived happily ever after,” he says. 

 

“Wow, I had no idea you were such a romantic,” she teases.

 

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he says, turning to her. Their faces are suddenly closer than she’d realized; she can feel his breath on her face, and she clearly sees his eyes drop to her mouth. Her heart starts to pound like it did when she woke from her dream but for a much more pleasant reason. She feels so strongly that he’s going to kiss her that it takes her a moment to catch up when he clears his throat and begins speaking again. “For example, you may not be aware that I love dogs and rainy days … and long walks on the beach under the moonlight.”

 

She swallows hard, scooting away from him on the bed, disappointed and a little antsy. She wills her voice to be normal when she answers, and she thinks she nails it. “Well, lucky for you, we happen to have a beach and some moonlight right out there.”

 

* * *

There are a few people in the lobby, and Seth takes her hand as they step out of the elevator. She tells herself that it’s just for appearances’ sake, but there’s still an annoying flicker of hope that she can’t quite stamp out, especially when they head down the wooden deck and stairs to the beach and he still doesn’t let go.

 

The moon is rising, full and large in the sky, so there’s enough light to see pretty well. They walk at the water’s edge, laughing when the waves run over their bare feet and drag the sand from beneath them and their way back out to sea. Seth tells her about the first time he’d seen the ocean, on a spring break trip to Florida with his brother when he was 18.

 

She’s only met Richie once; he seems a little odd, but very friendly. The brothers have a bond that she frankly envies. She and Scott love each other, definitely, but sometimes her brother will break contact with her for months before texting or calling her back out of the blue with no explanation for his absence. With their father in rehab, he’s gone M.I.A., and she doesn’t know when she’ll hear from him again. 

 

Even though Richie lives in a different part of the state, she doesn’t think a day goes by that the brothers aren’t in contact somehow. She can only imagine what kind of trouble they were up to as teenagers on spring break, and she says as much.

 

“I did almost get arrested once,” Seth confesses. “For indecent exposure.”

 

Kate laughs. “I wish I could say that surprises me. That seems to be a thing for you.”

 

“Hey!” he objects. “It’s not a _thing_. I just lost a bet and had to go streaking, dumb kid stuff. The cop either took pity on my naked ass, or he was about to get off work and was tired of dealing with fucking idiot teenagers, but he eventually let me off with a warning. Lucky for me, because my Uncle Eddie would have had my head if he’d had to bail me out.”

 

“Your uncle?” she asks hesitantly. “Not … your parents?”

 

“Uh, my mom, she took off when me and Richie were little. I don’t remember much about her. And my old man died a few years after. Uncle Eddie took us in. It can’t have been easy, going from never having kids to raising two annoying little shits like us, but he really took to it. He’s the best person I know, really.”

 

She’s not sure what to say, so she just squeezes his hand as they turn and head back toward the resort.

 

“Now you,” he says.

 

“Now me what?”

 

“Confess,” he squeezes her hand back.

 

“Well, _I’ve_ never been streaking in my life,” she says. “Public nudity is not one of my kinks.”

 

“Hmmm, care to share what those might be, Fuller?” he asks. “I mean, besides an obvious daddy kink.”

 

“Oh my God, that was a joke,” she says, kicking water at him. “You better pray my kink isn’t smothering men to death with pillows while they sleep.”

 

Seth laughs. “Okay, okay, I call a truce, no smothering necessary. No confessions, then. Just tell me something I don’t know about you.”

 

“Well… I’ve never seen the ocean until this trip,” she says. “We were supposed to go to the beach the summer before my senior year in high school. After my mom died, Dad kind of flipped out and bought this stupid, giant RV. Scott and I were not exactly thrilled. Dad wanted us to take a family road trip, and the only way I’d agree to go is if he promised we would go to the beach along the way. But … everything kind of fell through, and we never made it.”

 

She considers leaving it there, but he’d confided in her about his parents, so she continues. “He really … I guess I didn’t really know how much he depended on Mom, and he really just fell apart after she died. He blamed God, I think, and that’s an uncomfortable position for a pastor to be put in; how do you get up every Sunday and preach about God’s love when you feel like He’s abandoned you? Anyway … that’s when the drinking started, though it took a while for us to realize it.”

 

“You know, I think it’s really great that you and your brother are helping your dad like that,” Seth says, coming to a stop in front of the resort and turning to face her. “To me … there’s nothing more important than family, and working so hard to support your dad, I admire that.”

 

“Thank you,” she says. “Honestly, there are days when it’s just way too much, but if I can help him get better, of course I’m going to do what I can. He’s the one doing the real work to get better, anyway.”

 

“I don’t know about that,” Seth says, gently brushing his thumb over her cheek. Her eyes flutter closed at the feather-light touch. “I’m just glad to see you looking a little more rested.”

 

“Seth …” She opens her eyes, freezing when she notices the woman loitering around the deck at the back of the resort, smoking a cigarette. She’s standing under a string of electric lights, so Kate can clearly recognize Sonja … and can tell the other woman is watching them.

 

Kate steps closer to Seth. Standing on tiptoe, she slips her hands onto his shoulders and whispers in his ear that they have an audience.

 

At first, she thinks he’s not going to do anything; he just slides his hands down her arms, raising goosebumps in their wake, and rests his forehead on hers before murmuring. “This okay?”

 

“Yes,” she says. She thinks about adding on “that’s what I’m here for” or something about being his fake girlfriend, but the truth is, she doesn’t give a damn about the plan or if Sonja is watching them or not. There’s nothing fake about what she’s feeling, and she hopes he feels the same.

 

As she considers telling him so, Seth leans back just enough to press his lips to hers.

 

It’s a little weird and awkward for a long moment, as if they’re both afraid to move or even breathe, but then Seth breaks the stalemate by shifting his hands to Kate’s lower back and leaning into the kiss. It’s slow and warm, and it’s as natural as breathing to open her mouth under his and deepen it. In no time she finds herself pressed fully against him, twining her hands behind his neck and still not feeling close enough to him.

 

Everything in her is saying _more, more, more_ , so it’s a bit of a shock when he pulls back, resting his forehead on hers again. Kate hears his voice, and she blinks, trying to decipher what he’s saying to her.

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“She still there?” he repeats, and Kate glances over his shoulder to see that Sonja’s disappeared. Apparently watching them make out on the beach wasn’t that entertaining. 

 

“Gone,” she says, shaking her head, sighing when he pulls completely away from her and shoves his hand in his pockets.

 

“So … I was thinking dessert?” he says, and for a moment her brain goes to The Wrong Place. Apparently his does as well, because he actually sort of stutters for a moment (something she’s never witnessed before) and clarifies. “There was a hot fudge sundae on the menu. Unless you’d rather have a margarita? Or … both?”

 

“I think I’ll pass on the margarita this time,” she says. “But I never say no to chocolate in any form.”

 

They head for the stairs, and this time he doesn’t try to take her hand.

 

* * *

Turns out, the downside to sleeping all day is that you can’t actually sleep at night.

 

At least, that’s what Kate’s blaming for her problem, rather than the fact that she’s sharing a bed with an unfairly attractive man who had his tongue in her mouth not that long ago, but who apparently has no sexual interest in her whatsoever.

 

She wishes she could read him better, because she’d really convinced herself that he wanted her the way she wanted him. But after the kiss, amazing as it was, he’d been different. Still friendly, but _just_ that. Just … normal. No holding hands, no flirting, not even the fake kind in case any of his co-workers were around. And as soon as they came upstairs after dessert, he feigned being so tired he needed to get to sleep immediately.

 

She let him have the bathroom first, and by the time she’d finished with her turn, Seth was already in bed with the light on his side of the bed off. She’d taken a few more minutes than usual in the bathroom just to debate with herself about whether or not to wear her bra to bed, something she never did at home, before deciding she was being stupid and slipping it off. 

 

And it _was_ stupid, because honestly, she could have come out of the bathroom naked, and he was so busy faking sleep that he wouldn’t have noticed. 

 

The first 20 or 30 minutes, she’d stretched on her side and watched the green numbers of the alarm clock clicking by while Seth was so still, he might’ve been pretending to be a statue. Then, there was another half hour or so of constant tossing and turning from him, while she turned onto her back and literally tried counting sheep. Which was dumb, because what the hell does that even do?

 

Now, the man in question was almost certainly asleep, his breathing even, and she turns on her side and looks at him. She can’t see much more than just the shape of him, but she knows from the look she got before she switched off her light that he was sleeping without a shirt. She clenches her fist, almost overcome by the crazy desire to slide over to his side of the bed and get her hands on that chest, or his arms, which happened to be a particular turn-on for her. She’d thought way too many times about tracing that stupid flame tattoo with her tongue, and it was literally _right there_.

 

_Do not even think about molesting your friend in his sleep, you pervert,_ she tells herself, rolling over on her other side again and staring at the clock. _This is going to be the longest night of my life._

 

* * *

Kate is having the most amazing dream.

 

Seth is spooning her, his nose burrowed into the back her neck, and he’s slipped a big hand beneath her tank top, warming her skin. His hips are tucked against her ass, and she can clearly feel that he’s aroused, sparking a similar reaction in her own body. She doesn’t bother to open her eyes, doesn’t even try to stop herself from arching against him, and it’s not until she hears him hiss “ _fuck”_ that she realizes she’s not dreaming.

 

A second later, all his warmth is gone, and she starts to rub at her eyes. “Seth, wha—“

 

“Shhhh,” he tells her, and she feels his fingers lightly stroke her arm. “Go back to sleep, I’ll wake you up when it’s your turn.”

 

She closes her eyes and pretends to be easing back to sleep, but she’s really just kicking herself in embarrassment. At what point during the night did she decide to invade his side of the bed and snuggle up to him? As soon as she hears the bathroom door shut behind him, she opens her eyes and glares up at the ceiling. It’s a moment before she realizes that she’s exactly in the middle of the bed, which makes her feel a little better. Yeah, she’d moved over into his space, but he had apparently done the same.

 

She’s satisfied by the thought that they’re equally to blame for the morning cuddling.

 

Though _satisfied_ isn’t exactly the right word, as her body is still thrumming in response to the lovely morning wake-up. She wonders how long Seth takes in the shower and if it would be creepy to get herself off to the thought that if things had been different, she definitely would have gotten laid this morning.

 

Then she wonders if he might be doing the same in the shower, and that does nothing for her self-control. At all.

 

Slipping her hand under her sleep shorts, she toys with the lace band of her underwear, deciding that what Seth doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

 

* * *

It’s been a really long day, and Kate is cranky and tired, she’s pretty sure she’s totally out of ice cream, and for some reason that she’s questioning now, she never has alcohol in her apartment.

 

She could really go for a giant margarita at this point.

 

The last thing she expects is to see Seth Gecko leaning against the wall beside her apartment, looking, as usual, like some damn advertisement to trick men into thinking that they, too, could look that attractive with the right clothes or hair product.

 

Gritting her teeth, she trudges down the hall and pulls out her keys. She considers ignoring him, but in her experience, that tactic rarely works.

 

“Gecko,” she says instead. “Long time no see.”

 

Nine days.

 

It has, in fact, been nine days since Seth dropped her off, thanked her for her help and disappeared into his apartment — and, apparently, off the face of the planet.

 

“Hey, Kate.” He, wisely, keeps it simple and doesn’t try the charm game with her again this time.“Can we talk?”

 

She could refuse, but it’s been driving her crazy, wondering what she’d done that made him just leave. It had taken her a day or two to realize that they weren’tjust missing each other, he was gone altogether. And she’d actually called and left messages, which he never returned.

 

For nine days.

 

It was the kiss, she knows it was, and it makes her both sad and angry. Sad, because she’s never been kissed like that in her life, and what if she never is again? But angry, because they’re supposed to be friends, and if he was really that upset about it, he should have talked to her instead of just ghosting.

 

Had he realized, maybe, as she’s starting to, that her feelings for him went way beyond friendship? Even beyond attraction? Was it that that made him run away?

 

Unlocking her door, she waves him inside, dumping her purse and backpack on her coffee table before collapsing onto the couch.

 

Shrugging, she gestures for him to sit. “Talk.”

 

Seth takes the chair opposite her, leaning back like he owns the thing. “I was gone for a few days,” he says, as though she doesn't realize that. As though she hadn’t left him messages wondering where the hell he was. “I went to see Richie. He tells me I’m being an stupid asshole.”

 

“I always liked your brother,” she says, though she’s only met him once. “Smart man.”

 

“He is,” Seth agrees, digging something out of his pocket. “I —Here, I brought your money.” He tosses a wad of cash onto the coffee table, and they both stare at it.

 

Kate feels sick. She’d joked, in the beginning, comparing that weekend to “Pretty Woman,” but now it feels uncomfortably accurate. “Keep it.”

 

“I promised to pay you for the time you’d miss work,” he says.

 

She shrugs. “I didn’t even do anything, and I got a free vacation out of it.”

 

“Kate, I just. I want us to be square.”

 

“You want us square, we’re square,” she snaps. Clearly, he’s looking at this like a financial transaction, and she wants to cry. “Happy? Take the damn money.”

 

“You took those days off to help me.”

 

“It doesn’t matter,” she says, rubbing her forehead. “I worked a few extra shifts this week to make up for it.”

 

“That’s exactly what I didn’t want,” he says angrily, standing up and jamming his hands on his hips. “That’s why you look fucking exhausted again.”

 

“Wow, thank you, Seth.” Kate stands up, too, picking up the money and heading toward the door. The anger is easier to deal with than the hurt, so she lets that win out. “Charming, as always. Now, as you pointed out, I am completely exhausted, and I’d like to be alone.”

 

“I’m not — you can't — you’re fucking infuriating sometimes, Kate!”

 

“You’re no picnic yourself,” she tells him, slapping the wad of cash onto his chest and holding it there. “Take the money, and get the hell out of my apartment. I can insult myself just fine in private; I don’t need your assistance.”

 

He reaches for her hand on his chest, and she slips it away, leaving him holding the money instead. Opening her door, she motions for him to leave.

 

“Kate, can you just let me explain?”

 

“Explain what?” She thinks back to what he said. _“That’s exactly what I didn’t want.”_   What the hell does that even mean? “Did you … was this all a setup? Did you lie about needing me to pretend to be your girlfriend?”

 

“Not … exactly. No.”

 

“‘Not exactly’ is not ‘no.’”

 

“Listen, Sonja did try to rekindle things with me, but I wasn’t interested because her husband is my boss, and I also … well, I wasn’t interested. But then I got to thinking that you could use a break, and I could use some company, and it would really convince her to back off before anything got awkward. I figured it was win-win.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“So, you really did help me, and I would really feel better if you’d take the money,” he says.

 

“No. Now, please go.”

 

“Kate,” he huffs, clenching his fist around the cash. “I really need us—“

 

“— to be square, yeah, I got that,” she says. “I don’t need payment for going on vacation, as I’ve said. We’re even. Contract complete.”

 

“I’m not — I don’t know why you have to make this so difficult,” he says. “I wanted to make sure this was all clear so when I asked you out, it wouldn’t be weird.”

 

“I said, we’re …” she trails off as her brain catches up to what he just said. “When you what, now?”

 

Seth sighs. “Okay, look, I’m going to be straight with you. I always thought you were hot, even when you were just the uptight girl next door. But once we were friends, I started worrying about how hard you worked. I wanted to take you on this trip with me as a friend, not for anything creepy, but once we were there, pretending … I realized I wasn’t exactly pretending to have feelings for you.”

 

She shakes her head. “Then why didn’t you do something about it? I mean, I practically threw myself at you!”

 

“I was _paying_ you to be there,” he says. “To be my fake girlfriend. I wanted all that to be done before I made a move. I wanted it to be real.”

 

“You want to take me on a date,” she says slowly, her heart pounding as she realizes that this is really happening. He really likes her.

 

“I want to take you on lots of dates. I want to cuddle with on the couch and watch movies,” he says, shoving the money in his pocket. He steps closer, cradling her face in his hands. “I want to kiss you all the time and have you on every available surface in your apartment and mine. I want make sure you take care of yourself and don’t work too hard.”

 

“So, you’re saying, you want to be my daddy,” she says, grinning when he groans. “ _Kidding_.”

 

“I don’t know,” he says, brushing his lips over hers once. “You keep bringing it up. I think you’re protesting a little too much, Fuller.”

 

He kisses her then, and while it starts slow like their first, she realizes he was really, really holding back at the beach. It’s not long before he has her backed up against the frame of her still-open door, moaning as he tugs at her hair and finds that perfect spot on her neck like he just somehow _knows_ what does it for her.

 

There’s a loud clattering sound like something has been dropped on the stairs, and Kate pushes him away, just a little bit. “We should go inside.”

 

“Still not into the public nudity thing, huh?” he asks, nipping at her bottom lip.

 

“Let’s not get carried away,” she says. “Maybe try our hand at private nudity first?”

 

Suddenly, he scoops her up in his arms, moving inside and kicking the door shut behind him. “Anything for you, Katie,” he says. 

 

And he’s a man of his word.


End file.
